Koninklijke Vopak N.V. (AMS:VPK) stock most popular amongst private equity firms who own 48%, while individual investors hold 26%

Key Insights

• The considerable ownership by private equity firms in Koninklijke Vopak indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy
• 51% of the business is held by the top 2 shareholders
• 22% of Koninklijke Vopak is held by Institutions

A look at the shareholders of Koninklijke Vopak N.V. (AMS:VPK) can tell us which group is most powerful. We can see that private equity firms own the lion's share in the company with 48% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Individual investors, on the other hand, account for 26% of the company's stockholders.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Koninklijke Vopak.

View our latest analysis for Koninklijke Vopak

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Koninklijke Vopak?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

We can see that Koninklijke Vopak does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Koninklijke Vopak's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Koninklijke Vopak. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is HAL Investments B.V. with 48% of shares outstanding. The second and third largest shareholders are Sprucegrove Investment Management Ltd and Maple-Brown Abbott, with an equal amount of shares to their name at 3.0%.

A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 2 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 51% stake.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Koninklijke Vopak

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Koninklijke Vopak N.V.. The insiders have a meaningful stake worth €119m. Most would see this as a real positive. Most would say this shows alignment of interests between shareholders and the board. Still, it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 26% stake in Koninklijke Vopak. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Equity Ownership

With an ownership of 48%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Koninklijke Vopak you should be aware of.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.